League and cup double for Horwood

Great Horwood enjoyed a fantastic weekend as they moved up to second in OCA Division One with victory over Chadlington before they defeated league leaders and local rivals Westbury in the Airey Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

On Saturday, after morning rained saw the game reduced to 41 overs per side, Stuart Parker won the toss and asked Chadlington to bat first.

Horwood were not up to their usual high standards in the field as Chadlington punished some wayward bowling to set an impressive target of 196-6. Adam Armitage was the only bowler to come away with respectable figures of 3-36.

Parker and Tom Spurr opened for the first time since they put on 321 on the opening day of the season, and the duo again made a flying start in Horwood’s reply as they got on top of the opening bowlers to put on 96 in just 13 overs before Spurr was caught for 57.

Parker continued to dominate, taking the score to 156, and although he departed for 59, Jack Wilkins struck an impressive 30 to guide Horwood to victory inside 36 overs and for the loss of five wickets.

On Sunday, up against rivals Westbury in the Airey Cup, Parker lost the toss and Horwood bowled first.

The hosts made a steady start before Nix grabbed the crucial breakthrough with the score on 38 after 10 overs.

A second-wicket partnership took the score to 76, but Neil Wilkins (4-28) and Matt Mcstraw (3-45) began to take regular wickets as Westbury’s middle and lower order failed to fire in their 170 all out.

Parker (26) and Spurr (23) continued their good form together, adding 47 for the first-wicket, before Glyn Davies (36), Dale Armitage (39no) and Jack Wilkins (21no) all made contributions as Horwood eased to victory by six wickets.

To round off a brilliant weekend for the club, the second team picked up their first win of the season as they stunned leaders Sunningwell.

Fifteen-year-old Gregg Saunders and Simon Ridgway both took three wickets as Horwood restricted the hosts to 134-8. Skipper Gary Lee then led his side to victory with 64 and Ridgway hit 43 as they won by five wickets.